--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... Grief is selfish. It is indulged in…" description: "\"... Grief is selfish. It is indulged in for self-gratification, not for love. Cosmic man knows the beauty and unreality of death. Sympathy for the affl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/walter-russell-3334_abundance_grief-is-selfish-it-is-indulged-in-for-s_2123583.png" --- # ... Grief is selfish. It is indulged in for… ![“... Grief is selfish. It is indulged in for self-gratification, not for love. Cosmic man knows the beauty and unreality of death. Sympathy for the afflicted makes a reality of the affliction by its recognition as an infliction, while sorrow for the loss of anything, or for the »unfortunate«…” quote by Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/walter-russell-3334_abundance_grief-is-selfish-it-is-indulged-in-for-s_2123583.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/walter-russell-3334_abundance_grief-is-selfish-it-is-indulged-in-for-s_2123583.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/997/walter-russell-3334_abundance_grief-is-selfish-it-is-indulged-in-for-s_2123583.png) > “... Grief is selfish. It is indulged in for self-gratification, not for love. Cosmic man knows the beauty and unreality of death. Sympathy for the afflicted makes a reality of the affliction by its recognition as an infliction, while sorrow for the loss of anything, or for the »unfortunate« condition of anybody, is forgetful of the beauty and abundance of all-giving God and Nature. The Mind of God knows but one unchanging emotion - ECSTASY - the ecstasy of Love - the ecstasy which has its beginnings in an inner joyousness of one who is far on the road to the discovery of his immortal Self.” [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grief is portrayed as self‑centered, diverting attention from divine love and the inherent beauty of existence. **In simple terms:** Grief focuses on self, ignoring larger spiritual truth. Key Takeaway Shift focus from personal loss to universal love. Themes grief spirituality divine love ego death Mood reflective serious Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal loss - ritual mourning - spiritual practice - philosophical contemplation Key Concepts Egoism transcendence theology ecstasy Questions to Reflect On - How does focusing on divine love change personal grief? - Can grief be both selfish and compassionate? A Different Perspective May overlook genuine empathy needed for healing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abundance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abundance/) [Affliction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affliction/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death sympathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-sympathy/) [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Ecstasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecstasy/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [God and nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-and-nature/) [Gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratification/) [Grief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grief/) [Infliction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infliction/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality of death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-of-death/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self gratification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-gratification/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) [Unchanging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unchanging/) [Unreality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unreality/) ## Related quotes > [Grief is selfish. It is indulged in for self-gratification, not for love. Cosmic man knows the beauty and unreality of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/grief-is-selfish-it-is-indulged-in-for-self-gratification-not-for-2/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [Immoderate grief is selfish, harmful, brings no advantage to either the mourner or the mourned, and dishonors the dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/immoderate-grief-is-selfish-harmful-brings-no-advantage-to-either-the/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [Unhappiness is selfish, grief is selfish. For whom are the tears?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/unhappiness-is-selfish-grief-is-selfish-for-whom-are-the-tears/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain That has been, and may be again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/some-natural-sorrow-loss-or-pain-that-has-been-and-may-be-again/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [“People in the real world always say, when something terrible happens, that the sadness and loss and aching pain of the heart will “lessen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/people-in-the-real-world-always-say-when-something-terrible-happens/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [But though it cannot be reasonable not to gain happiness for fear of losing it, yet it must be confessed, that in proportion to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/but-though-it-cannot-be-reasonable-not-to-gain-happiness-for-fear-of/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Whatever you find, you also find the fear that you may lose it. Whatever you fall in love with fills you with the sorrow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-you-find-you-also-find-the-fear-that-you-may-lose-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“He felt like his own heart might stop beating just from acknowledging the concept. The sadness, the sorrow, and the loss, they were living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-p-knave/he-felt-like-his-own-heart-might-stop-beating-just-from-acknowledging/) [Adam P. Knave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-p-knave/) > [“She heard hearts bounce, tears brewing, and breath going backward, but nobody said a word. By the sorrow and loss and sweetness in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-s-beagle/she-heard-hearts-bounce-tears-brewing-and-breath-going-backward-but/) [Peter S. Beagle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-s-beagle/) > [“Sorrow and loss are meant to prepare us for the vision of God to purge the inward eye that it may see Him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/sorrow-and-loss-are-meant-to-prepare-us-for-the-vision-of-god-to/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [“You gain inner peace when you become comfortable with the reality of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/you-gain-inner-peace-when-you-become-comfortable-with-the-reality-of/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Believe in the wonderment of life, the magic of love, and the reality of death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-bryant/believe-in-the-wonderment-of-life-the-magic-of-love-and-the-reality/) [Carroll Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-bryant/) > [What does interest me is how difficult my culture seems to find it to look the dark side of life directly in the eye.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kingsnorth/what-does-interest-me-is-how-difficult-my-culture-seems-to-find-it-to/) [Paul Kingsnorth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kingsnorth/) > [“Only those who embrace the reality of death will receive the new life. 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He gradually discovers it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/knowledge-is-cosmic-it-does-not-evolve-or-unfold-in-man-man-unfolds/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [This New Age is marking the dawn of a new world-thought. That new thought is a new cosmic concept of the value of man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/this-new-age-is-marking-the-dawn-of-a-new-world-thought-that-new/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [The personal ego must be suppressed and replaced with the 'universal ego.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/the-personal-ego-must-be-suppressed-and-replaced-with-the-universal/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [War, and more wars, are helping Government to siphon the earnings of its people into its treasury for its own selfish purpose, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/war-and-more-wars-are-helping-government-to-siphon-the-earnings-of/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [Most sculptors make the mistake", he said, "of thinking of eyes as form and they therefore make them as spherical surfaces. Eyes are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/most-sculptors-make-the-mistake-he-said-of-thinking-of-eyes-as-form/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [There is no use for energy of any kind whatsoever unless there is a plan back of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/there-is-no-use-for-energy-of-any-kind-whatsoever-unless-there-is-a/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [There is no violent surface indication of the ecstasy which great thinkers alone enjoy. There is nothing dramatic about it, but there is some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/there-is-no-violent-surface-indication-of-the-ecstasy-which-great/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [“...That inner ecstasy of the mind is the secret fountain of perpetual youth and strength in any man. 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